Cycling

Austria’s Matthias Brändle sets hour cycling record of 51.85 kilometres

• 24-year-old beats record set by Jens Voigt last month
• ‘I had a difficult period in the middle of the race’
• Wiggins sets sights on world hour record for June 2015
Matthias Brändle
Matthias Brändle broke Jens Voigt's hour record in Switzerland on Thursday night. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Austria’s Matthias Brändle set a new hour record of 51.85 kilometres on Thursday to eclipse Jens Voigt’s mark established last month.

Competing at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle in Switzerland, the 24-year-old from IAM Cycling was up by almost a minute on Voigt’s time set on 18 September at the halfway stage and managed to hold on in the dying stages.

“I had a difficult period in the middle of the race, where I suffered,” said Brändle.

“I had to take a few laps easier, but in the end I could find my rhythm again and bring it to the end.”

The UCI president Brian Cookson watched the events unfold and afterwards paid tribute to Brändle. “It’s been absolutely wonderful, a fantastic atmosphere here, a full house,” he said.

“The crowd have been terrific and really got behind Matthias, really helped him. And he’s responded with a wonderful performance putting a good few hundred metres on Voigt’s record and to set a new standard.”

Sir Bradley Wiggins has set his sights on breaking the record next year, while Britain’s Alex Dowsett and multiple time trial world champion Fabian Cancellara have also expressed an interest in attempting it.

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